CHARLES THOMAS BALE Art

Political Chatter, 2017 John Hartley discovered his life's passion while growing up in Piqua, Ohio. Encouraged to develop his talents in an academic envi...

Paolo Paoletti (Padua, 1671 - Udine, 1735) Still life with fruits on a shelf Oil on canvas, 53.5 x 81 cm Expert opinion Dr. Gianluca Bocchi The still life under consideration can...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2018. Classic French black wooden frame with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.69 inches high x 19.69 inches wide. Framed size: 25.2 inches high x 25.2 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by the modest works of the French painter, Chardin, this classic composition focuses on the simple, zen-like qualities of the gustatory delights of Stefaan’s locale, where bread and cheeses are freshly made and sold at his favorite outdoor market. Interposed with a large knife and antique glass wine bottle...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2007. Classic French black wooden frame with raised panel and gold leaf. Unframed size: 18.11 inches high x 14.96 inches wide. Framed size: 25.6 inches high x 22.4 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. Inspired by 17th century Masters, Davidz De Heem and Willem Heda...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2012. French handmade wooden Delf frame, raised panel with dark gold/bronze patina and gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.09 inches high x 15.75 inches wide. Framed size: 29.5 inches high x 25.125 inches wide x 1.63 inches deep. Sold framed. Stefaan’s tribute to the great French neoclassical painter stems from first seeing Gericault’s horses...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2001. French wooden frame in ivory with gold leaf. Unframed size: 19.7 inches high x 23.6 inches wide. Framed size: 26.4 inches high x 30.5 inches wide x 1 inch deep. Sold framed. The first Eyckmans’ painting to employ a brighter, golden palette, this everyday kitchen scene explores the differing textures of the objects within. The artist’s love of all things French is exemplified here with antique pottery, a starched linen tablecloth, breadboard and, of course, fruit and favorite cheeses. Note the superb shadowing of the board extending over the table, the detailing in the chèvre and paper wrapping to the left, and the asymmetrical cluster of stemmed Muscat grapes, all illuminated by easterly light. Classical in perspective and execution, but with a more contemporary feel that derives from the use of color and light, this painting marks a transformational point in the artist’s work. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden...

Mother Mary, 2017 John Hartley discovered his life's passion while growing up in Piqua, Ohio. Encouraged to develop his talents in an academic environme...

Exceptional pair of paintings by Manon Cleary (1942-1911). Paintings are oil on canvas. Dated 1980 and signed in the front lower right corner and on reverse. Manon Cleary's work is ...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2013. French handmade wooden Delf frame, black raised panel with silver leaf. Unframed size: 35.4 inches high x 40.6 inches wide. Framed size: 44.1 inches high x 49.2 inches wide x 1.5 inches deep. Sold framed. Quinces are a symbol of fertility, and for the artist, they’re adored for their voluptuous, irregular shape. To him, imperfect fruits are more realistic, more truthful, and most beautiful. In this large composition, the bright, primary coloring of the quinces is heightened by their placement in front of the vintage oil can...

Provenance: Selma Herringman, New York, ca. 1955-2013; thence by descent to: Private Collection, New York, 2013-2020 This seventeenth century Spanish still-life of a laden table, known as a bodegón, stands out for its dramatic lighting and for the detailed description of each object. The artist’s confident use of chiaroscuro enables the sliced-open squash in the left foreground to appear as if emerging out of the darkness and projecting towards the viewer. The light source emanates from the upper left, illuminating the array, and its strength is made apparent by the reflections on the pitcher, pot, and the fruit in the basket. Visible brush strokes accentuate the vegetables’ rough surfaces and delicate interiors. Although the painter of this striking work remains unknown, it is a characteristic example of the pioneering Spanish still-lifes of the baroque period, which brought inanimate objects alive on canvas. In our painting, the knife and the large yellow squash boldly protrude off the table. Balancing objects on the edge of a table was a clever way for still-life painters to emphasize the three-dimensionality of the objects depicted, as well a way to lend a sense of drama to an otherwise static image. The knife here teeters on the edge, appearing as if it might fall off the table and out of the painting at any moment. The shape and consistency of the squash at left is brilliantly conveyed through the light brush strokes that define the vegetable’s fleshy and feathery interior. The smaller gourds—gathered together in a pile—are shrouded partly in darkness and stand out for their rugged, bumpy exterior. The stoneware has a brassy glaze, and the earthy tones of the vessels are carefully modulated by their interaction with the light and shadow that falls across them. The artist has cleverly arranged the still-life in a V-shaped composition, with a triangular slice of cheese standing upright, serving as its pinnacle. Independent still-lifes only became an important pictorial genre in the first years of the seventeenth century. In Italy, and particularly through the revolutionary works of Caravaggio, painted objects became carriers of meaning, and their depiction and arrangement the province of serious artistic scrutiny. Caravaggio famously asserted that it was equally difficult to paint a still-life as it was to paint figures, and the elevation of this new art form would have profound consequences to the present day. In Spain Juan Sanchez Cotan...

Oil on panel, signed and dated 2009. French handmade wooden Delf frame, red bolus ground with gold leaf. Unframed size: 11.8 inches high x 19.7 inches wide. Framed size: 21.3 inches high x 29.1 inches wide x 1.25 inches deep. Sold framed. This striking and animated combination of plums with a 15th Century earthenware bowl placed atop a worn plank table hearkens back to the Old Masters while remaining present-day through its geometric composition and use of negative space. Chosen for the pictorial qualities…their shape, color, scale, and satiny skin, a true representation of plums is difficult to capture, as their essence changes and degrades in a matter of hours. As such, the artist focused on including their essential details in the first layer, a practice that is unusual for him. Note the exceptional detailing in the fine variations of color and shape of the fruit, particularly the stems, and the progressive feel attained through the balance of light and color. This painting is available for viewing at The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, CT, the exclusive U.S. representative for the artist. Stefaan...

98 x 36 cm each without frame - 112 x 50 cm with frame Antique gilded and shaped wooden box frames Expertise by Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri This marvellous pair of flower vases has b...